The present invention is in the field of promotional or advertising devices that are also ancillary to games using tangible projectiles, and specifically to the game of golf. More particularly, the present invention relates to a promotional device that is also a combination player manipulated turf repair tool and golf ball marker.
In playing golf, a large variety of accessories are used to help enhance the enjoyment of the game. Among these accessories are divot or turf repair tools. Turf repair tools are used to lift up grass on a golf green that has been depressed by the impact of a golf ball or golf club. Repairing the divot allows the turf to recover more quickly from the impact, which promotes the integrity of the green and allowing for a smooth putting surface. Ball markers are also used on the golf green to mark the location of a golf ball on the green, allowing play by following players. In order to minimize the number of items a player must personally carry and keep track of, the field has been motivated to develop combination divot repair tools and ball marker holders.
Examples of such combined divot repair and ball marker holders include those disclosed by England, U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,322 and Tate, U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,683. Both patents disclose a golf tool consisting of a divot repairer, a magnetic marker holder and a metallic ball marker. A metallic golf ball marker with or without a stem or post is held in place in the magnetic holder. However, a magnetized golf tool has a potential disadvantage. In present times, with the high probability that a golfer is carrying magnetic sensitive media (e.g., a credit card or a computer disk), there is the risk of compromising the magnetic media if the magnetized material of the golf tool is placed in proximity of the magnetic media (e.g., in the same pocket, purse or brief case).
Larson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,123 also discloses a golf tool combining a turf repair tool and a pair of ball markers. The pair of ball markers consist of two individual markers that latch together through a series of legs and undercuts. The divot repair tool is made of stiff wire with a bent-back, V-shaped portion and undulated prongs (legs). The bent-back, V-shaped portion of the tool forms a space or slot with the prongs for receiving the assembled ball markers. The assembled ball markers are releaseably held in this slot by passing the prongs through the space in between the assembled ball markers. Although the Larson device may be useful for its intended purpose, it requires the extra step of joining of a pair of ball markers to form a marker assembly, before of the repair tool can be inserted into the marker assembly and accomplish the combination device.
Hatch, U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,426 discloses another turf repair tool combined with a ball marker and a carrying case. The repair tool is a flat body member having a first end portion to function as a handle, and a second end portion that tapers into a fork shaped pair of prongs. The ball marker has a circular head and central stem or post which fits into a grommet mounted in the intermediate portion of the body. The ball marker of the Hatch device only has a single post for engaging the turf when used to indicated the position of a golf ball on the green.
Other combination golf tools include Kennedy, U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,052 and Hammond, U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,878. Kennedy describes a combination divot repairer, club holder and ball marker holder. The ball marker is received in a recess or slot at the handle end of the tool, and retained there until use apparently by friction fit. Hammond discloses a golf tee with an attached divot repair tool which contains a ball marker. The Hammond device utilizes a golf tee of any suitable design connected by a high tensile flexible cord to an anchor/green groomer. The ball marker is held in an aperture or through-bore in the body of the tool by the single center post or shaft of the ball marker.
Although each of the above devices may be useful for its intended purpose, it would be beneficial to have an alternative combination divot repair tool and golf ball marker system which is simply constructed of only two components and of a safe, non-magnetic material. It would be further beneficial if the safe material was not only non-magnetic, but also would not damage mower blades when lost tools are run over by grounds keeping equipment. A still further benefit would be to have a message surface incorporated into either or both components of the combination device, to allow the device to also be easily utilized as a promotional or advertising item.
The present invention is a promotional device and safety golf tool system for use in the game of golf. The system is the combination of a golf ball position marker and a turf repair tool in a single device that is transportable on one""s person, for example, in a pocket, purse or in a bag or case. The system is accomplished by having the ball marker incorporate features for receiving and holding a turf repair tool. Therefore, the device consists of only two component parts: a unitary ball marker and a unitary turf repair tool. The safety features of the present invention are that its two component parts are constructed of materials that are non-magnetic and less likely to damage the mower blades of greens keeping equipment should a lost device be run over by such equipment.
The present device has multiple uses. The body of the device is a divot or turf repair tool and is useful for that purpose either as a separate component or in combination with the ball marker. The ball marker component is removable from the turf repair tool component, and separately useful for that purpose. The features of the device that removably attach the two components of the device together are integral to the ball marker component. The attachment features also serve the purpose of helping to anchor or maintain the position of the ball marker when it is placed on the turf to mark a golf ball location. For use to as a turf repair tool, the device is grasped by the loop section (with or without the ball holder in place at the loop section) and the arm pins are inserted into the ground to raise the divot and flatten the surface of the turf.
Another use of the present device is as a promotional or advertising device. One or more message display surfaces are included on the device for presenting a promotional or advertising message. The message surfaces are a surface that is integral to the ball marker or the turf repair tool.
The turf repair tool component of the present device is rod-like and has a hairpin-like configuration or shape. The hairpin shape has a base portion and two arms. A section of the hairpin shape proximate the base is indented or constricted to form a loop in the base portion of the hairpin shape. The arms are relatively parallel and extend away from the constriction section and each terminates in a blunt end. The loop section of the repair tool lies in a single plane, and the ball marker is removably attachable to the loop section from either side of the plane of the loop section. The outer surface of the rod-like shaped may serve as a message display surface where a promotional or advertising message may be displayed. The message may be printed, stamped, engraved or the like on the outer surface of the turf repair tool, for example, on the arms or the loop section.
The turf repair tool is constructed of a safety material. The safety material should be non-magnetic so as to not compromise any magnetic sensitive media (e.g., a credit card or a computer disk) that it may come in proximity with. Also, the safety material should be light weight and relatively soft, such as a plastic or relatively soft, light weight metal. Aluminum, plastic, brass, copper and any soft, non-magnetic metal are examples of materials that can be used to practice the present invention.
The arms of the repair tool have a reach dimension. The reach dimension is the length of the arm from the constriction section to the terminal end of the arm. The reach dimension ranges from about 4 centimeters to about 7 centimeters, depending on the physical characteristics of the material used to construct the tool, the intended function of the tool (deep turf repair versus shallow), and the desired degree of personal portability for the tool. The terminal ends of the arms are blunted to avoid damage to clothing and the like when the present device is carried on one""s person.
The turf repair tool is rod-like having a substantially uniform cross-section. The cross-section of a turf tool has a cross-sectional dimension ranging from about 2 millimeters to about 5 millimeters. The size of the cross-section depends primarily on the material of which the tool is constructed. Weaker materials may require the tool to have a larger cross-section to provide sufficient structural integrity to the tool to reduce or prevent its bending or breaking in use. Typically, the turf repair tool has a cross-sectional configuration that is substantially circular in shape. However, other shapes, such as ovals, squares, oblongs and the like are also practicable in the present invention. The hairpin shaped repair tool has an overall length from the base to the tool to the blunt ends of the arms ranging from about 7 centimeters to about 10 centimeters.
The ball marker of the present invention has a wafer shape with a front surface and a back surface. The front surface of the ball marker includes a message display surface. An advertising or promotional message may be displayed on the message surface by printing, molding, embossing or adhering the message to the message surface. The back surface of the ball marker is where the attachment means is disposed for attaching the ball marker to the loop section of the turf repair tool. The attachment means is comprised of a set of detent posts integrally disposed on the back surface of the ball marker. The detent posts not only serve as an attachment mechanism between the repair tool and the ball marker, the posts also serve as an anchor post for engaging the turf when the ball marker is removed from the turf tool and used to mark a golf ball location on a green. The height of the post (how far they extend away from the back surface of the ball marker) may be selected to provide the degree of purchase or anchoring of the ball marker with the turf as desired. The longer the posts, the greater the purchase or anchoring. Optionally, a specific anchor post may be included on the back surface of the ball marker, in addition to the detent posts.
The attachment means set of detent post was specifically developed for practice in the present invention. The set of detent posts comprises at least one inner detent post and at least two outer detent posts. One or more inner detent posts contact and receive the turf repair tool on at a surface inside of the loop section of the tool, proximate the base. At least two outer detent posts contact and receive the repair tool at its surface outside of the loop, proximate to and one detent on either side of the constriction section. The described configuration of the locations of the detent posts was specifically designed to be practiced on the repair tool of the present invention. The present attachment means design proved to be functional even when other designs failed due to distortion of the hairpin shape or spreading of the arms of the repair tool with continuing use. In fact, the disclosed design provided to help maintain the proper spatial relationship between of the arms of the tool. The practice of alternative attachment means in the present invention by one of ordinary skill in the art must take the same functional requirements into consideration.